Laura Rohde, director of human resources, Skoda Minotti

Organizational development (Finalist)

At the accounting, business and financial advisory firm Skoda Minotti, Rohde helped the firm improve what it refers to as its qualitative, or human relations side.

With a combination of intelligence, grace, forethought and drive, Rohde introduced the strategies after she joined Skoda Minotti in 2014 and won acceptance for them, according to the nomination.

One approach uses the Birkman method to evaluate the personalities and work styles of team members so they work better together. The other uses a matrix, dubbed a "nine-box method," to evaluate staffer performance and ability to advance within the firm.

The strategies were a big change for Skoda Minotti, which has grown quickly and innovated in many ways but continued to use traditional human resources practices.

Danielle B. Gisondo, a Skoda Minotti partner, said in the nomination Rohde geared the training to each individual's learning style and she found them personally beneficial.

"As a result my interactions with individuals and teams are highly personalized," Gisondo wrote, "and they are geared toward accomplishing shared goals with a stronger sense of unified purpose." She added that over time, the firm's partners have been impressed by the impacts the changes produced in the firm's culture and operations.

Moreover, Rohde instituted a program of internal training at Skoda Minotti. The firm calculates that cost as $283,976 less than outside training.

Rohde also organized an in-house university at Skoda Minotti, updated the way the firm welcomes new employees and led initiatives for women, diversity and inclusion.

Rohde has also worked in human resources roles in financial and legal services since launching her career in 1994 after earning a bachelor's at Cleveland State University in marketing and finance. She holds seven certifications in personnel methods and also writes for professional journals.

Recommended for You

Crain's Morning Roundup

Business headlines from Crain's Cleveland Business and other Ohio newspapers — delivered FREE to your inbox every morning. Sign up for the Morning Newsletter.